fimA-folD genes linkage in Salmonella identifies a putative junctional site of chromosomal rearrangement in the enterobacterial genome

Abstract Analysis of the Salmonella chromosomal region located upstream of the fimA gene (coding for the major type 1 fimbrial subunit) showed a close linkage of this gene to the folD gene (coding for the enzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/5, 10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase), indicating that the fim gene cluster of Salmonella , unlike that of Escherichia coli , has no regulatory genes located upstream of fimA and apparently terminates with this gene. The respective locations of the fim and folD genes in the E. coli and Salmonella genetic maps suggests that the fimA-folD intergenic region of Salmonella encompasses a junctional site of a genetic rearrangement that probably originated from the different chromosomal location of the fim genes in these species.     

Levels of genetic diversity at different stages of the domestication cycle of interior spruce in British Columbia

Concerns over the reductionist nature of the domestication of forest-tree species focus on the possibility of potential genetic erosion during this process. To address these concerns, genetic diversity assessments in a breeding zone the Province of British Columbia “interior” spruce (Picea glauca×engelmanni) program was conducted using allozyme markers. Genetic-variation comparisons were made between natural and production (seed orchard) populations as well as seed and seedling crops produced from the same breeding zone’s seed orchard. The natural population sample consisted of a total of 360 trees representing three stands within each of three watersheds present in the Shuswap-Adams low-elevation zone of interior British Columbia. Small amounts of genetic differentiation were observed among the nine natural populations (4%) and this was attributable to extensive gene flow Consequently, the sum of these nine populations was considered as a baseline for the genetic variation present in the breeding zone. The comparisons between the seed orchard and the breeding zone produced a similar percentage of polymorphic loci while the expected hetrozygosity (0.207 vs 0.210) and the average number of alleles per locus (2.7 vs 2.4) were slightly lower in the seed orchard. A total of seven natural populations’ rare alleles were not present in the orchard population, while one allele was unique to the orchard. The %P increased to 70.6% in the seedlot, but dropped to the natural populations level (64.7%) in the plantation. The observed increase in %P was a result of pollen contamination in the orchard. It is suspected that the reduction in the plantation was caused by an unintentional selection in the nursery. Simulated roguing in the orchard did not drastically reduce even if up to 50% of the orchard’s clones were rogued. However, roguing was associated with a reduction in the average number of alleles per locus (i.e., sampling effect). Received: 2 January 1996 / Accepted: 24 May 1996     

Methods for rapid screening and isolation of bacteria producing acidic lipase: feasibility studies and novel activity assay protocols

Acidic lipase finds its commercial values in medical applications and bioremediation of food wastes. In this work, approaches for rapid screening of lipase-producing bacteria were developed and the feasibility assessment of the screening methods was performed. From food waste samples, the proposed screening procedures allowed isolation of sixteen pure bacterial strains expressing higher lipase activity at acidic pH (pH 6.0) than at alkaline pH (pH 9.0). To enhance the accuracy of lipase activity determination under acidic conditions, a novel assay procedure was also developed by deactivating lipase activity by microwave treatment prior to back titration. This additional step could minimize interferences arising from residual lipase activity during conventional direct back-titration methods in measuring lipase activity at acidic pH. Using the four strategies proposed in this work, the best acidic-lipase-producing isolate was obtained by strategy C (SSC) and was identified as Aeromonas sp. C14, displaying an optimal lipase activity of 0.7 U/ml at an acidic pH of 6.0.     

5S ribosomal gene clusters in wheat: pulsed field gel electrophoresis reveals a high degree of polymorphism

Summary The long-range structure of 5S rRNA gene clusters has been investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by means of pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Using aneuploid stocks, 5S rRNA gene clusters were assigned to sites on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 513 and 5D. Cluster sizes were evaluated and the copy number of 5S DNA repeats was estimated at 4700-5200 copies for the short repeating unit (410 bp) and about 3100 copies for the long repeat (500 bp) per haploid genome. A comparison of wheat cultivars revealed extremely high levels of polymorphism in the 5S rRNA gene clusters. With one restriction enzyme digest all varieties tested gave unique banding patterns and, on a per fragment basis, 21-fold more polymorphism was detected among cultivars for 5S DNA compared to standard restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected with single copy clones. Experiments with aneuploid stocks suggest that the 5S rRNA gene clusters at several chromosomal sites contribute to this polymorphism. A number of previous reports have shown that wheat cultivars are not easily distinguished by isozymes or RFLPs. The high level of variation detected in 5S rRNA gene clusters therefore offers the possibility of a sensitive fingerprinting method for wheat. 5S DNA and other macro-satellite sequences may also serve as hypervariable Mendelian markers for genetic and breeding experiments in wheat.     

Selection for components related to body composition in mice: direct responses

Summary Replicated within full-sib family single-trait selection was conducted for 10 generations in mice for (1) high or low 12-week epididymal fat pad percentage (100 x epididymal fat pad weight/body weight) or (2) high or low 12-week hind carcass percentage (100 x hind carcass weight/body weight). Pooled realized heritabilities based on high, low and divergent selection were 0.66±0.09, 0.65±0.13 and 0.66±0.05 for epididymal fat pad percentage and 0.48±0.08, 0.33±0.08 and 0.40±0.04 for hind carcass percentage. The pooled realized genetic correlation (r_{G R}) between epididymal fat pad percentage and hind carcass percentage based on divergence was –0.67±0.04. Other estimates of (r_{G R}) were: epididymal fat pad percentage with body weight (0.57±0.05); epididymal fat pad percentage with epididymal fat pad weight (1.17±0.05); hind carcass percentage with body weight (–0.61±0.09); hind carcass percentage with hind carcass weight (–0.05±0.11). Indirect measures of fat and lean tissue percentages were highly heritable, and (r_{G R}) between them would be desirable from the standpoint of analogous types of traits in livestock. In the same context, undesirable (r_{G R})'s were found between epididymal fat pad percentage and body weight and between hind carcass percentage and body weight.Paper No. 10957 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7601, USA. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of the products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned     

Cluster analysis as a method for evaluation of genetic similarity in specific host — parasite interaction (Lactuca sativa — Bremia lactucae)

Summary In gene-for-gene systems, specificity of hostparasite interactions is most often estimated qualitatively using the symbols +, –, (i.e. susceptibility and/or resistance). In large sets (interaction patterns) it becomes impossible to analyze numerous data by mere comparison. This is overcome by application of cluster analysis. In our experiments the methods in question were used to estimate the data obtained in a study on interactions between more than 220 Lactuca sativa cultivars and 12 Bremia lactucae physiological races (isolates) of Czechoslovak origin. The matrix of similarity coefficients was analyzed by hierarchical clustering. Similarity and/or dissimilarity of host R-genotypes was graphically expressed using the method of two principal components. The results obtained are related to genetic constitution of race specific resistance of the host and the possibility of predicting effective resistance sources.     

Estimating the number of genetic elements that defer senescence inDrosophila

Summary Although many different physiological and biochemical changes characterize the process of senescence, little is understood of the genetic elements that determine its age of onset. We provide here the first estimates of the number of genetic factors that extend longevity inDrosophila melanogaster. Life span was measured in F₁, F₂ and backcrosses of true-breeding long and short-lived stocks ofD. melanogaster, established by selection. Estimates of the number of effective factors delaying senescence range from about 0.3 to 1.5, indicating control by a single factor. The distribution of longevity shows this to arise as selection acts on the short-lived parental stock. Life span is extended at the cost of early fecundity.     

Effect of mass selection on the within-family genetic variance in finite populations

Summary The adequacy of an expression for the withinfamily genetic variance under pure random drift in an additive infinitesimal model was tested via simulation in populations undergoing mass selection. Two hundred or one thousand unlinked loci with two alleles at initial frequencies of 1/2 were considered. The size of the population was 100 (50 males and 50 females). Full-sib matings were carried out for 15 generations with only one male and one female chosen as parents each generation, either randomly or on an individual phenotypic value. In the unselected population, results obtained from 200 replicates were in agreement with predictions. With mass selection, within-family genetic variance was overpredicted by theory from the 12th and 4th generations for the 1,000 and 200 loci cases, respectively. Taking into account the observed change in gene frequencies in the algorithm led to a much better agreement with observed values. Results for the distribution of gene frequencies and the withinlocus genetic covariance are presented. It is concluded that the expression for the within-family genetic variance derived for pure random drift holds well for mass selection within the limits of an additive infinitesimal model.